War of Independence. thence to Panama by sea, the journey may now be made in about a fortnight. In Bolivar's time the communication must have been much slower, but Bolivar regarded Panama as the jewel of the new organization, and in 1828 he issued a commission for the formation of a roadway across the Isthmus between the two oceans. He believed that in that narrow strip of land, Colombia held that which would make her a great and wealthy nation. And on November 3, 1903, she lost it, not by conquest, but by secession, and by a secession approved and confirmed, if not aided and abetted, by the greatest Republic in the world, which waged one of the greatest and bloodiest wars on record in order to disprove the right of confederated States to separate from the majority. There is an enduring historical interest in Colombia because of its association with the struggle of Latin-America to free itself from the domination of Spain. The revolt began before the end of the Eighteenth Century, although the great War of Independence did not break out until 1810. Previous to that war, Colombia was the Spanish vice-royalty of Nuevo Reina de Granada. After that war it formed the Republic of Colombia along with Ecuador and Venezuela. These latter States separated in 1828 and formed distinct republics. Colombia then became the United States of Colombia, with nine confederated TWO VIEWS OF THE PANAMA CANAL SHOWING THE CULEBRA CUT, AND THE THREE LOCKS AT GATUN -Vol. VIII, page 2515 States. In 1886 these States were made Departments in a reconstructed Republic of Colombia. One of these States, or Departments, was Panama, with an area of only 30,000 of the 500,000 square miles comprised in the area formerly known as New Granada. In the days of the Conquistadores, the cy of Panama was the centre of Spanish influence in the South Pacific, and the Isthmus itself has always been regarded by Colombians as "the navel of the world." "The navel of the world." The history of the Panama Canal project may be briefly noted. In 1879 M. de Lesseps began to organize the Panama Canal Company, which was floated in December, 1880. Some 600,000 shares of £20 each were sold, yielding £12,000,000, but the actual cost of the enterprise was estimated by its originator at £26,320,000, and the time required at eight years. The original intention was to build the Canal at sea-level, without locks, like the Suez Canal. The depth was to be 291 feet, and the width at bottom 72 feet. On the Atlantic side Colon was fixed as the terminal port, and Panama was selected on the Pacific side, the total length of the route between the two points to be followed by the Canal being 47 miles. To carry out the sea-level plan it was necessary to make a cutting 328 feet deep at Culebra. The original scheme was adhered Beginning to until 1887, when it was abandoned, and one Panama with a system of locks was adopted. But two 7-Vol. 8 of the Canal. the Walker Commis sion. years later followed the collapse of the com- For half a century, as Mr. Frederick Penfield (formerly U. S. Consul-General in Egypt) has observed, the Nicaraguan was the only Isthmian Canal believed to be available to the United States. As Frenchmen controlled the Panama route, generations of Americans were reared under the influence of the Nicaragua preference, prior to General Grant and onward. It is scarcely necessary to Report of recall that the Walker Commission reported in favor of this route to Congress, and only sent a supplementary report recommending Panama, when the French company climbed down in its terms. Soon after that supplementary report was presented Consul Penfield publicly advocated the acquisition of the Panama Isthmus by the United States. His argument was that the State of Panama was of comparatively little value to the Republic of Colombia, though of inestimable value to a powerful nation constructing the Canal; that the people of Panama have no affection for Colombia, and have even shunned the name |